Reversible ribbon feeding mechanism



Dec. 12, 1933. 5. A. TOMPKINS REVERSIBLE RIBBON FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 21, 1933 GRANT ARTHUR T'OMPKNS attorneys Patented Dec. 12, 1933 REVERSIBLE RIBBON FEEDING MECHANISM Grant Arthur Tompkins, Groton, N.. Y., as-

signor to L. C. Smith & Corona Typewriters, Incl, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Yor Application January 21, 19 3. Serial No. 652,814

17 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in reversible ribbon feeding mechanism. The improved ribbon feeding mechanism is particularly a useful for feeding the inking ribbon of a typewriting machine back and forth from one to the other of a pair of ribbon spools.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide, in a ribbon feeding mechanism which is reversible both automatically and manually, improved dual control means whereby the mechanism may be both automatically and manually conditioned to change the direction of feed of the ribbon by the mechanism; to provide a ribbon feed mechanism having automatic feed direction control means for reversing the feed mechanism whenever the ribbon is completely (or substantially completely) unwound from either of a pair of feed spools to which the ribbon is attached, and also having a single control member operable manually .to reverse the feed mechanism at will and which will not move when the feed mechanism is reversed; to provide a ribbon feed mechanism having a manual control means including a manually operable member or key which automatically returns to a normal idle position when actuated to reverse the feed mechanism and which also reverses the feed mechanism on each actuationof said member from its normal idle position; and to provide in a manually and automatically reversible feed mechanism, a single hand-operated member operable always in one and the same direction to reverse the feed mechanism and which is not moved by automatic reversal of thefeed mechanism. I

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following description of the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawing.

In the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective viewof a typewriting machine equipped with an improved ribbon feeding mechanism embodying the invention;

Figs. 2, a, 4 and 5 are detail views illustrating the operation of the manual feed-reverse control device; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary front view of part of n the reversible feed mechanism, showing the mechanism automatically actuated to start reeling up of the ribbon on the left hand ribbon feed spool.

Those portions of the ribbon mechanism whereby the spools are rotated and the direction of spool rotation is automatically reversed are not of my invention and are more fully disclosed in the application for patent of Henry'A. Avery,

Serial No. 586,724, filed January 15, 1932. A

brief description of the construction and mode of operation of those portions of the ribbon mechanismwill first be given.

The machine has a main frame ,or stationary framework 10 upon which the reversible ribbon feeding mechanism is'mounted to reel the inked ribbon 12 upon first one and then the other of the ribbon spools 13 which turn with the respec tive spool carrying shafts 14. Shafts 14 are journalled in frame 10 at opposite sides of the -.machine and have beveled gears 15 fixed on their lower ends. A "transversely extending common drive shaft 16 is axially slidable in bearings 17 on the frame to mesh one of the bevel gears 18 fixed on its opposite ends with one of the gears 15 and simultaneously demesh the other pair of meshable gears l5l8 for reversing the direction of ribbon feed.

In Fig. 1 the gears 15 -18 for driving the right hand spool are shown meshed to reel the ribbon on that spool. A type key operated universal bar 28 is oscillated down and up on its bearings 32 in frame 10 at each typing operation by a part of the actuated type action and, through connecting link 35, oscillates rock shaft 37 journalled in the frame. A return spring 38 normally holds the universal bar up to a stop 33.

A rock arm 39 fixed on shaft 37 oscillates,

through link 40, a rocking and axially shiftable actuating member and pawl, carrier 21 pivoted on shaft 16 to oscillate relatively thereto but connected with the shaft 16 to move axially in unison therewith by straddling, and abutting the ends of the hub of, a ratchet wheel 19 fixed on the drive shaft 16. A feed pawl 22, pivoted on the member 21 and urged to the ratchet wheel by spring 24, turns the ratchet Wheel and shaft 16 step by step by reason of the oscillations of member 21. At its left hand end, the hub of the ratchet wheel is enlarged and oppositely beveled to provide a cam portion 20, and a detent lever 45 is pivoted on the frame at 46 and urged by a spring 47 to cause its forwardly bent inner end to coact alternately with the oppositely beveled faces of cam portion 20 to insure full axial shifting of shaft 16 and to'yieldingly holdthe said shaft in itsalternate spool driving positions.

A pair of control levers 49 journalled on pivots 50 on the frame have slots 51 through which the ribbon extends. The ribbon is provided near each end with one of the usual pair of eyelets or projections 48 for alternately rocking the control or trip levers 49 to set the ribbon mechanism for automatic reversal upon the next typing operation of the machine. The control levers are normally held by springs 52 in the positions in which they appear in Fig. 1, in which positions they hold two reversing cam levers 53 in their idle positions (shown in Fig. 1) in which cam projections 57 on the pawl carrier move fore-and-aft under converging rearwardly bent cam arms of the levers 53. The cam arms of levers 53 are normally held rocked up againstan overhanging portion 54 of the framework 10. Levers 53 have pivots 55 on frame 10 and are connected by a light spring 56. Left hand lever 49 directly engages its associated cam lever to hold the latter in idle position against the pull of spring 56, while right hand'lever 49 engages its associated cam lever for the same purpose through a connecting link 59. When the ribbon is exhausted from either spool the adjacent control lever 49 is rocked, spring 56 rocks the associated cam lever 53 to swing its rearwardly inclined cam arm down against its associated one of two stop fingers 58 on frame 10 to interpose said cam arm in the path of the associated cam projection 5'7 on member 21; and, upon the next forward swinging movement of said member 21, this member is cammed sidewise or axially and carries with it shaft 16 to automatically reverse the direction of feed of the ribbon. In Fig. 6, for example, the left hand control lever and cam lever are shown rocked into ribbon reverse effecting position, and member 21 is shown cammed to the left at the end-of its forward throw, by the action of its left hand projection 57 on the rocked cam lever, to connect the driving gears for the left hand spool and disconnect the driving gears for the right hand spool.

The ribbon is vibrated up and down by the usual ribbon guide 60 to cover and uncover the printing point on the platen 11 of the machine.

The improved features, whereby the feed of the ribbon controlled by the foregoing mechanism may be manually reversed at will, will now be described.

The yoke-like rocking and axially shiftable member 21 is manually shifted axially when it is desired to manually reverse the direction of feed of the ribbon, A single manually depressible and automatically returned finger key and a connection between the same and member 21 are provided whereby depression of saidkey will .always shift member 21 axially in the proper direction to reverse the direction of ribbon feed no matter which of the spool carrying shafts is operatively geared to drive shaft 16. The key operated means for shifting member 21 axially is also such that the key remains stationary in its normal idle or elevated position when member 21 is axially shifted automatically through the ribbon controlled action of the parts hereinbefore described. Manual reversal of the ribbon feed is thus simplified and facilitated, since all that is required of the operator is to depress and release one and the same key regardless of the direction of ribbon feed desired, instead of having to select the proper one of two keys, or to move a single key or hand lever in the proper one of two directions of movement. Noise, distraction and annoyance incident to movement of a. manually operable ribbon reverse key or keys, or handle, upon automatic reversal of the ribbon, are also eliminated.

swing down and up.

Mounted on a vertical pivot post 80, held to the stationary framework 10, is a bellcrank lever 81, oscillation of which on post reciprocates member 21 axially to axially reciprocate drive shaft 16. Lever 81 has a rearwardly extending horizontally swinging arm whose rear end extends between and rockably abuts the upright arms of member 21 to form an interlocking rocking connection between said lever and member for axially shifting the member in opposite directions without interfering with the rocking or oscillating movement of said member. Lever 81 has a second arm extending transversely of the machine from pivot post 80, said arm in the construction shown extending toward the left hand side of the machine. At its outer or free end this second arm is provided with fore-andaft spaced portions 1 and 81 preferably formed by providing a foreand-aft extending closed slot 82 in an enlarged outer end of the lever. It will be obviousthat lever 81 will rock in opposite directions when member 21 is automatically shifted axially in opposite directions in alternately reversing the ribbon feed auto- 'matically under control of the ribbon.

To manually rock lever 81 for the purposes, and to attain the desired ends, hereinbefore pointed out; the fingerkey m ans shown is preferably provided. At the left hand side of the machine a key lever 83 is pivotally held at its rear end to frame 10 by a horizontal pivot 84 to This key lever extends forward over the slotted outer end of the transversely extending arm of bellcrank lever 81 and passes through a closed vertical guide slot85 in a portion of the frame 10 which is immediately above and at the rear of the left hand endof the keyboard of the machine. Rigid with the forward end of key lever 83, which lever terminates a short distance in front of the slot 85, is a manual ribbon reverse finger key 86 by which the lever may be conveniently depressed at will until it engages the lower end wall of slot .85.

.A return spring 87, connected with the key lever and frame 10, normally holds the key. lever drawn up into engagement with the upper end wall of slot 85, as shown in Fig. l.

Pivoted intermediate its ends to the key lever 83 by a pivot 88 is a short two-arm thrust lever 89 whose pivotal axis extends horizontally transversely of the machine. Thrust lever 89 is normally held vertically disposed by a return spring 90 connecting the upper end of the thrust lever to the key lever at a point above the thrust lever pivot. The lower arm of this fore-and-aft tiltable thrust lever is reduced at its lower end at both its front and rear edges to form a medially disposed guiding or retaining lower end portion 89 of the lever and a pair of shoulders 89 and 89 at the, upper end of portion 89 The end portion 89 of the thrust lever extends down through the slot 82 in bellcrank lever 81 in all positions of key lever 83, and the length of slot 82 is such that the thrust lever may be held in a vertical position by spring 90 when lever 83is in normal position and bellcrank lever 31 is at either limit of its throw. The length of slot 82 is also such that but one of the shoulders on the thrust lever at a time is depressible into engagement with lever 81, shoulder 89 overhanging abutment portion 81 of lever 31 (as shown in Figs. 1 and 2) when member 21 and shaft 16 are shifted to the right and said shaft is geared to the righthand spool-carrying shaft, and shoulder 89 overhanging abutment portion 81 of lever 81 (as shown in Fig. 4) when member 21 and shaft 16 are shifted to the left and said shaft is geared to the left hand spool-carrying shaft. Portion 89 and shoulders 89 and 89 form two notches at the lower end of the thrust lever 89, one of which notches faces forwardly to receive the abutment or contact portion'81 of bellcrank lever 81 for converting downward movement of key lever 83 into a forward thrust movement against the transversely extending arm of the bellcrank lever, and the other of which notches faces rearwardly to receive abutment portion 81 of lever 81 for converting downward movement of lever 83 into rearward thrust on said transversely extending arm of lever 81, said notches being alternately effective toreceive the respective abutment portions.

With the parts positioned as in Figs. 1 and 2, depression-of key 86 rocks lever 83 downward,

first causing shoulder 89 of lever 89 to move down on top of portion 81 of lever 81, whereupon lever 89" begins to tilt clockwise (as viewed in Fig. 2), shoulder 89 passing down through slot 82 and the tilting lever 89 thrusting forward on portion 81 and rocking lever 81 into the position shown' in Fig. 3 to thereby shift shaft 16 from the position it occupies in Fig. 1 to'that it occupies in Fig. 6. Shaft 16 is thus manually disconnected from the right hand one of the spool-carrying shafts 14 and connected to the lefthand one of said spool-carrying shafts. Upon release of key 86, the key lever and thrust lever are restored to the positions thereof shown in Fig. 4, lever 81 remaining in its shifted position;

With the parts positioned as in Fig. 4, depression of key 86 causes shoulder 89 to move down on top of portion 81 of lever81, whereupon the thrust lever 89 tilts in counterclockwise direction and rocks lever 81, as shown in'Fig. 5, back into the position said latter lever occupies in Fig. 1, thus connecting the drive shaft to the right hand one of the spool-carrying shafts and disconnecting it from the left hand one of the spool-carrying shafts. Upon release of key86 the parts will be again positioned as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. I

Automatic oscillation of lever 81 by the automatic ribbon reversing means will not impart movement to the thrust lever 89 and the key lever 83 and its key, but merely conditions the key-operated means for reversal-of the feed from the'automatically changed direction of feed by a simple depressionand release of the' single manual reverse key.

What I claim is:

1. In a typewriting machine, the combination of means automatically controlled to feed an inking ribbon longitudinally back and forth, and manually operable means for adjusting said first-mentioned means at will'to change the direction of longitudinal feed of the ribbon thereby, said last-mentioned means including an actuating device directly movable by the operator from a normal idle position to which it always returns when released.

2. In a typewriting machine, inking ribbon feed mechanism comprising} in combination, means for moving the ribbon longitudinally, ribbon controlled means for automatically set-' ting said first-mentioned means to change the direction of movement of the ribbon thereby, and manually operable means automatically conditioned'by the setting of said first mentioned -means to set the latter to change the direction of feed of the ribbon thereby uponactuation of said manually operable means, said manually operable means including an actuating device by which alone it is manually operable and which is always operable in one and the same manner to manually change the setting of the first-mentioned means.

3. A typewriting machine comprisin in combination, means settable to feed an inking ribbon in either of two directions, means for automatically changing the setting of said means to reverse the direction of feed of the ribbon, and a single manually operable setting changer for said first-mentioned means movable directly by the operator and connected with said first-mentioned means to change its setting when said changer is manually operated and to remain stationary when the setting of said first mentioned means is automatically changed by the secondmentioned means. 1

4. A typewritingmachine according to claim 3,'characterizedin that said setting changer is spring-returned to one and the same normal idle position after each manual actuation thereof and is connected with the settable feed means to change the setting of the latter by direct manual movement of the changer in the same direction out of said idle position.

5. A typewriting machine according to claim 3, wherein said manually operable setting changer comprises a spring-returned key lever having but a single actuating key rigid therewith, which key-lever is movable by pressure on said key to change the setting of the feed meansirrespective'of the existant setting of the latter means.

6. In' a typewriting machine, a ribbon feed mechanism comprising, in combination, means settable to feed the ribbon in either of two directions, a' setting changing key for said. feed means, a return spring normally holding said key in an idle position from which it is movable ina single direction only, and means connecting said key to said mechanism for changing the existing setting of said feed mechanism when said key is manually moved in said single direction from its idle position.

"7. In a typewriting machine, a ribbon feed mechanism comprising, in combination, means settable to feed the ribbon in either of two directions, a setting changing key for said feed means, a return spring normallyholding said key in an idle position from which it is movable in a single direction only, means connecting said key to said mechanism for changing the existing setting of said feed mechanism when said key is manually moved in said single direction from its idle'position, and ribbon controlled means for automatically changing the setting of said feed mechanism at a predetermined point in the feed of the ribbon in each of said two directions.

8. In a typewriting machine, a ribbon feed mechanism comprising, in combination, means settable to feed the ribbon in either of two directions, ribbon controlled means for automatically changing the setting of said feed mechanism at a predetermined point in the feed ofthe ribbon in each of said two directions, a setting changing key, a return springnormally holding said key in an idle position from'which and ineffective to movesaid key when the set.-

ting of the feed. mechanism is automatically changed. I

9. In a typewriting machine having means settable to feed an inked ribbon. in either of two directions, the combination with said means of means for automatically changingthe setting thereof at a predetermined point in the feed of the ribbon in each of said directions, a lever connected with a part of the said automatic means for actuating the latter to change the existing setting of the feed means and oscillated by said part alternately from one to the other of two normally stationary positions of the lever upon successive changes of the setting of the feed means, :a depressible key, and means operable by depression of said key, when said lever is standing in either of its said normally stationary positions, to rock said lever to the other one of its said, normally stationary positions.

10; In a typewriting machine having means settable to feed an inked ribbon in either of two directions, the combination with said means of means for automatically changing the setting thereof at a predetermined point in the feed of the ribbon in each of said directions, a lever connected with a part of the said automatic means for actuating the latter to change the existing setting of the feed means and oscillated by said part alternately from one to the other oftwo normally stationary. positions of the lever upon successive changes of the setting of the feed means, a depressible key, and means operable by depression of said key, when said lever is standing in either of its said normally stationary positions, to rock said lever to the other one of its said normally stationary positions, said lastmentioned means having an operating connection with said lever conditioned to, rock the lever in either of two opposite directions in accordance with the existing setting of the feed means, which connection is ineffective .to transmit motion to said key from said lever when said'key is in its idle undepressed position.

11. Ina typewriting machine, the combination of ribbon feeding means settable to feed an inked ribbon in either of two opposite directions, an oppositely movable and normally stationary member connected to said feeding means to change the setting of the latter by shifting movement of said member from one to the other of two limits of throw of the latterjan automatically restored finger key, and means operable by said key, upon movement thereof from its normal restored position, to shift said normally stationary member from that oneof the limits of its throw at which it is standing to the other.

12. In a typewriting'machinc, the combination of ribbon feeding means settable to feed an inked ribbon in either of two opposite directions, an oppositely movable and normally stationary member connected to said feeding means to change the setting of the latter by shifting movement of said member from oneto the other of two limits of throw of the latter, anautomatically restored finger key, and means operable by movement of said key from its normal restored position to shift said member from that one of the limits of its throw at which it stands to the other one of said limits, said means having a force-transmitting connection with said member which is automatically variedto reverse,

with each change of setting of said feed mechanism, the direction of the force which movement of the key from restored position will appl y to said member.

13. In a typewriting machine, means ,for feeding an inked ribbon in either of two directions comprising, in combination, a member which shifts from one to the other of two positions to change the direction of feed of the ribbon, a second member for shifting said first member between said two positions, and an actuating member for the second member to which said second member is pivotally held to swing in both directions of movement of the first member, said actuating member being movable in a fixedpath to and from a normal idle position to shift the second member bodily, and said first and second member being provided with coactive means for tilting said second member on its pivot during movement of the actuating member out of idle position, said coactive means connecting the first and second members for movement of the first member by the tilting and bodily movement of the second member and reversing the direction of tilting movement of the second member'in accordance with the position occupied by the first member immediately pre ceding actuation of. the actuating member.

14. In a typewriting machine, a ribbon feeding mechanism comprising, in combination, an automatically restored member supported for direct manual movement out of a normal idle position in a fixed path and in one direction only, an oppositely tiltable member pivotally held to said first member, and a third and normally stationary member shiftable in opposite directions to reverse the direction of feed of the ribbon and engaged in each of its oppositely shifted positions with said tiltable member to cause said tiltable member to tilt in a different direction and shift the third member to the other one of its oppositely shifted positions upon manual movement of the automatically restored member out of idle position.

15. A typewriting machine having a ribbon actuating mechanism comprising, in combination, a fore-and-aft extending depressible key lever, a restoring spring therefor, a normally vertically extending thrust member pivotally held to said lever to swing in opposite directions fore-and-aft of the machine from its normal position, ribbon feeding means, and a horizon- ,tally swinging lever connected with said means to set the same to feed the ribbon in either of two directions,- said horizontally swinging lever spaced portions of the horizontally swinging lever are alternately engaged in the two set positions of the ribbon feeding. means.

16. A typewriting. machine according to claim 15, wherein the thrust member is normally held vertically disposed by a return spring engaged therewith and with the key lever, and said member extends downward through a fore-andaft extending closed slot in the transversely extending arm of the horizontally extending lever, portions of which lever arm at the forward and rear ends of the slot form the fore and aft spaced portions of the lever arm which are receivable in the notches of the thrust member.

17. In a typewriting machine, a reversible ribbon feed mechanism comprising, in combination, a pair of spool carrying shafts, journalled in fixed bearings, a drive shaft supported for axial reciprocation for operatively connecting it alternately with different ones of the spool-carrying shafts, a ratchet wheel fixed on said drive shaft to turn and reciprocate in unison therewith, a pawl carrier mounted on said shaft to oscillate thereon and also to reciprocate axially in unison with the shaft, a pawl carried by said carrier to rotate the ratchet wheel when the carrier is oscillated, means for oscillating the pawl carrier on the drive shaft at each typing operation of the machine, a bellcrank lever pivoted to rock about a fixed axis perpendicular to the drive shaft, said bellcrank lever having an arm connected with the pawl carrier to reciprocate the latter axially and to permit the latter to oscillate about the drive shaft and also having a second arm extending longitudinally'of the shaft, a feed reversing hand lever pivoted on a fixed axis which is parallel to the drive shaft, a hand lever return spring for yieldingly holding said hand lever in a normal idle position from which it is movable in only one direction, and a thrust member pivoted on the hand lever on an axis parallel to the hand lever axis, said second arm of the bellcrank lever having an opening through which said thrust member extends and said thrust member having a pair of shoulders at 0pposite edges thereof alternately engageable with opposite edges of said opening to tilt the thrust member on its pivot in opposite directions when said hand lever is moved from its idle position with the drive shaft at opposite limits of its movement of reciprocation.

GRANT ARTHUR TOMPKINS. 

